This Week from the Los Altos Police Log: March 2-8

It was not a good week for one Los Altos business, located in one of the suites in an office building in the 4000 block of El Camino Real. When employees showed up for work Friday morning, they discovered they had been the victims of a burglary overnight. Just before 9 a.m. Friday, officers were called to the office building. It appears a significant amount of computer equipment was stolen from the unnamed business. The Los Altos Police Department said the commercial burglary is under investigation, but that so far, they have no suspects.

Police dealt with a few reports of suspicious persons throughout the city on Friday. Around 11 a.m., the police received a call from a concerned party about a suspicious person in the 500 block of Harrington Avenue. Police located the individual and made contact, advising him or her to move on. That night, just before 11 p.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle lurking about, near Cuesta Drive and El Monte Avenue. Officers made contact with the driver, who was having mechanical problems, and assisted the person. Just after 6 a.m. Sunday morning, officers responded to Foothill Expressway and San Antonio Road on a report of a suspicious person. They located the person and assisted him or her with moving on.

Someone must have been in a good mood Friday night; just after 9:30 police received a complaint of someone singing loudly out the front door of a house near the dead-end of St. Joseph Avenue. Officers responded to the scene, but apparently the jubilant singer got the hint and had shrunk back into silence before they got there—police could find no such person or hear any loud singing.

A handful of reports of people using gas-powered leaf blowers came in to the police over the weekend. Just before 10:30 on Saturday morning, officers made contact with someone using one in the 100 block of Lyell Avenue, and advised him or her of the city’s municipal code prohibiting them. Another report came in about 45 minutes later in the 200 block of Gordon Way. The person was not using it when the officers arrived, but they made contact and advised them, nonetheless. Less than an hour later, officers received a complaint for someone in the 1000 block of Estrellita Way. However, officers could not locate anyone using a leaf blower when they arrived.

At least one person in Los Altos got a bit of good news on Sunday—police were able to recover a stolen vehicle and return it to its grateful owner, on Homestead Road, around 11 a.m. that morning.

Sunday evening, officers had to help someone at Mariposa and Alta Vista avenues quiet their noisy dog after neighbors complained of the incessant barking.

Luckily, police were able to catch a trespasser in the 4000 block of El Camino Real Sunday evening around 6:45. Officers advised the suspicious subject to be on his or her way, or risk arrest.

Police gave a citation arrest and an order to appear in court to a driver they caught driving with a suspended license around 9:45 a.m. Monday near N. El Monte and S. Clark avenues.

Later that afternoon, officers were called to a home in the 300 block of Distel Circle to handle a disturbance. Residents of the home called the police to complain about a subject who refused to leave. Officers helped mediate the situation, and all appeared resolved. However, the officers were called back to the home barely 30 minutes later, on another complaint of disturbing the peace. When officers arrived, it appeared the parties had come to a resolution on their own and the officers left.

Here’s a tip – make sure you know the rules for proper disposal of garbage! On Tuesday morning at 8:16 a.m., officers were called to a home on Cuesta Drive to investigate illegal dumping of garbage. Apparently, someone who didn’t want an old mattress anymore decided to dump it in the grassy area behind a property to get rid of it. Officers tracked down the misguided dumper and issued him or her a citation with a fine, and made him or her go retrieve the mattress. Officers say, if you have a large item like a mattress you don’t want anymore, the proper way to dispose of it is to either wait for one of the city’s free trash pick-up days to put it out in front of your home on the curb, or haul it to a dump yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of being fined.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, a 9-1-1 call came in and then hung up. Officers responded to the scene to perform a welfare check, and found that the phone company was working on the lines, leading to the accidental dial.

Just after 11:30 a.m. that day, officers were called to a home in the 1000 block of Los Altos Avenue to investigate yet another case of identity theft. A female fears that someone may have opened up a credit card account using her name and personal information. A report was taken, and officers are currently investigating the issue and attempting to determine if any actual losses have occurred.

Another tip – try to keep a close eye on your smartphones while shopping. Los Altos Police were called to Andronico’s in the Rancho Shopping Center around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday because a woman’s iPhone had gone missing while shopping. The woman said she had the phone with her while shopping, but by the time she had paid for her groceries and exited to the parking lot, she discovered it was missing. Police said it is not clear yet if the phone was indeed stolen, and that they have no suspects at this time.

Around 6 p.m., officers were called to the 100 block of Covington Road on a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area. Officers responded and located the vehicle in question, and determined the driver was experiencing mechanical problems. The officers assisted the driver in getting on his or her way.

The police were called just before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to help deal with a downed wire in the street in the 900 block of Parma Way. Los Altos Police notified the phone company, who came to fix it.

Los Altos Police were called to , 4800 El Camino Real, just after 3:30 Wednesday afternoon on a report of petty theft. Employees reported a shopper had left with several items without paying. Police said an investigation is ongoing, and they do not know the exact value of the stolen goods at this time.

Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, police took a report of fraud from a resident who lives in the 2000 block of Homestead Court. The resident told police an unknown suspect had used his or her credit card without permission, charging more than $2,000. A report was taken and an investigation is ongoing.

Someone on Cypress Court got a bit of a scare on Wednesday night just before 10:30 when they discovered a raccoon in their home. They called the police, who notified Animal Services, and help was soon on the way.

A word of advice—drive slowly in residential neighborhoods. Police were called to a home in the 1000 block of Mercedes Avenue just before 4:30 Thursday afternoon when the father of a young child “got into it” with a driver he said nearly ran over his child. Two different people who witnessed the incident called the police to report a disturbance between the father and the driver, and police arrived at the scene shortly after. A report was taken, and officers mediated the argument between the two subjects.

Around 5:15 p.m. Thursday, officers were called to the 2000 block of Homestead Road on a report of a hit-and-run accident. Luckily, there were no injuries, but police took a report on the second vehicle that left the scene of the accident.

Just a few moments later, officers were notified of a poor, dead squirrel in the road, in the 1000 block of Fallen Leaf Lane. Officers notified Animal Services to come and take care of the dead animal.

A little after 7 p.m. Thursday, police were called to on a report of theft. Someone reported the theft of his or her cell phone and wallet. A report was taken.

Around 10:30 that evening, police received a report of suspicious circumstances in the area of S. El Monte Avenue and Foothill Expressway. The report described a person driving erratically. Officers searched the area and made contact with the driver, who was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence.

Information in this article was supplied by the Los Altos Police Department. Where arrests are made, it does not indicate a conviction.

For questions about this police log, contact Los Altos Patch Editor L.A. Chung at lachung@patch.com.